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How many miles over the speed limit do you drive? Most of us drive a couple miles above the limit, and we hate seeing those flashing red and blue lights behind us. But it doesn’t stop us from doing it. Instead of continuing this never ending battle, San Francisco Bay area communities are experimenting with smart technology that will make drivers slow down. They’re using digital monitoring devices to figure out how fast traffic is moving. If most people are speeding, the devices sense that and immediately turn the next light to red. It forces everyone to slow down or stop. The amount of time the light is red adjusts based on how fast people are driving. People interviewed for a story in the San Francisco Chronicle were very upset about the new technology. But Clark thinks it’s a great idea. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

You may have seen kiosks in malls where you can get digital pictures of your baby in the womb. It’s possible because of very high resolution ultrasound machines, and they’re often called “vanity ultrasounds.” Mothers love them, and they’ve been seen as harmless fun. But the FDA has put out a warning about this technology. The agency says that long-term exposure to repeated ultrasounds are not fully known. It may seem harmless and cute, but it may harm your baby in the long run. Clark is not a doctor, but he wants you to know about this.

You’d probably expect news about unemployment figures, inflation and other financial topics in current newspapers. But today, the front page was covered with stories about all of the corruption going on in corporate America. Adelphia, Enron, Martha Stewart are all names popping up in the business section of papers. Companies have been caught cooking their books, inflating their numbers and giving false financial reports. This very upsetting to free market capitalists like Clark. The lack of ethics in corporate America is at the heart of the problem. Consumers must vote with their feet and must refuse to do business with these companies. So, what will happen to them? Hopefully the perp walks and media blitzes surrounding these people will make others think twice about duping the public. These corporate execs need to know that if they get caught, they’ll spend time in prison.

Clark’s 4-year-old daughter is deathly allergic to peanuts. She used to love eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but at two years old she had a severe reaction. Clark and his wife had to rush her to the hospital before her windpipe closed up entirely. Each year in the United States, thousands of people end up in the hospital because of allergies to food. Many people don’t know they have allergies, but between three and five percent of us have food allergies. A percentage of these allergies are deadly and people die every year because they don’t know what is in food. As a result, Congress is about to pass a food labeling law that says food products must contain information about eight specific ingredients that can cause death. The items are eggs, shellfish, fish, peanuts, milk and wheat. It’s a very simple way to keep loved ones safe and medical costs down.

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In other food news, the vending machine industry is getting into the healthy eating fad. These machines will soon have salads, sandwich wraps, bottled water, green teas and dried fruits. They’re cutting out soft drinks, hot dogs, hot chocolate, potato chips and the like. The new items actually have higher profit margins than the old ones. So, it’s a win-win for everyone!

One in four people will probably buy a computer between now and Christmas, according to Investor’s Business Daily. That may sound like a lot, but it’s actually a decrease compared to recent years. So, computer makers have the ability to make a lot more computers than we want to buy. And that means we are going to have a bargain bonanza on our hands. The laptop market is getting cheaper, and the desktop market is dirt cheap. A desktop computer costs less than some televisions these days. Clark recently bought a Linux-based PC for $199. It does the bare minimum, but it works for him. Clark uses the computer for word processing, Web surfing and for his finances. Better yet, the computer is immune to viruses right now because it doesn’t run on a Microsoft operating system. By the end of the year, you will find some great computers starting in the $200’s. Last Thanksgiving, the same machines were at $499. In addition, the features that laptops will have this season will far outstrip what they could do last season. There are several smart reasons to buy a cheap laptop. The first is that no one will ask you about your machine if it’s just the basics. Another reason is that laptops will soon fit in a woman’s purse and can be taken anywhere.

Clark’s 15-year-old daughter, Rebecca, loves going to Starbucks. She and Clark were on a father-daughter trip to Chicago recently, and over a three-day trip they must have stopped at dozens of Starbucks cafes. The coffee drinks are not only expensive, but they’re also high in fat and calories. A caramel Frapaccino has nearly 430 calories, according to the Boston Globe. The newspaper conducted a calorie and fat count on some of the drinks served at Starbucks. The strawberries and cream Frap has 780 calories. That’s more than a McDonald’s meal. To combat the bad press it has received, Starbucks will soon introduce non-fat lattes. They have just 160 calories. There will also be light versions of Frapaccino’s that have 110 calories. Good news for coffee and sweet lovers.